1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed toward a rocket for use with electrical connectors, and particularly for use with submersible electrical connectors.
2. Description of the Related Art
The electrical connectors are of the type connecting a set of electrical conductors to an electrical conducting block. The block has a first set of holes in one face of the block in which the bare ends of the conductors are inserted, one in each hole. A second set of holes, in a second face of the block transverse to the first face of the block, intersect the first set of holes. The second set of holes are threaded. A set screw is screwed into each hole in the second set of holes to clamp a conductor, in each hole in the first set, to the block to make a good electrical connection between each conductor and the block.
Electrical connectors of the type described above are often used in damp environments or even under water. The connectors are therefore sealed with a plastic casing enclosing the block, the casing having a tubular port surrounding each hole in the block. Each port extends transversely away from the face of the block in which the hole is located. The ports associated with the second set of holes are each sealed with a resilient plug inserted into the port over the set screw in the hole associated with the port. Seals, known as ‘rockets’, seal the ports through which the conductors pass into the first set of holes.
A rocket is made of resilient material and has a tubular base section that fits snugly within the port, and a tubular, stepped, sealing section extending forwardly from one end of the base section. The steps in the sealing section are each sized to snugly enclose a standard sized conductor. In use, the sealing section of the rocket is cut off at the forward end of the step that is sized to fit the particular size of conductor being used with the connector. The rocket is then mounted by its base snugly within the port and the conductor is passed through the rocket, including the cut step, to make a connection with the connector block. The step tightly encloses the conductor to make the port, with the conductor passing there through into a hole in the first set of holes, watertight. Examples of these rockets are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,533,912 and 5,915,998 by way of example.
The known rockets however do not always fit all conductor sizes within a range of sizes used in these types of connectors. The known rockets, made in steps, can only handle so many standard sizes without becoming unduly long. Thus, the rockets are either made to have one rocket fit only the more popular standard sizes within a range of sizes, or several rockets must be made to fit all the sizes within the same range of sizes. Further, the known rockets do not always provide a water tight seal, since the steps are usually relatively short in order to accommodate a number of different sized conductors used with the rocket. Also, it is relatively difficult to pass the conductor through the cut step since the step must be expanded a bit to pass the conductor if it is to provide a tight seal against water. The known rockets, particularly with the shorter steps, are also prone to leakage if the conductor must be bent leaving the connector.